Temp League - Game Five - Early Carthage vs Seleucids

[massina_nz]

Facing probably lots of pikes and lancers, I forgo the chariots again. Sheesh this is turning out to be anti-climatic. It feels like I’m playing a boring Hellenistic Greek army. Not what I had anticipated

So I lose initiative, and get another horrible map, I need space to make my numbers tell, and space is what I don’t get. However one opportunity is the steep hills where the pikes are, this negates the extra POA pikes get over spears, and the pikes are separate from the main enemy host. So the obvious plan (to me) is to take out the pikes first.

I move LF as far forward to slow down the pike moves.

[massina_nz]

My opponent is surprised by my army composition – they were expecting lots of MF, but there was no way I would do that with all those pikes and lancers about, if I got an open map like my first game, I would be slaughtered.

[massina_nz]

We get nearer to the pikes where the steep hills will negate the extra POA pikes get versus Spears in open ground, and I tempt the scythed chariots – I’m also tempting a pike unit to charge, although not so good for me attacking in open, it will allow me to swarm it.



The cavalry unit I had misplaced at the start looks like it will join the fold unmolested. My cavalry will be used to tie up the enemy cats and my LF javelinmen to attack the hefalump.

[massina_nz]

Faced with several threats – the Thorathaki who are very dangerous in rough terrain, the Argyraspides which are lethal against my normal spears POA ++ on impact and POA+ if I’m not disrupted in melee– yuck- so I decide to concentrate on the pikes first and then on the other threats.

I make a mistake with my slinger opening it up to attack by the pikes.

[massina_nz]

Can my weight of numbers overcome the individual superiority of the pikes?

[massina_nz]

So much for superiority of numbers, looks like the pikes should be able to easily handle my spearmen, whilst the other Seleucid forces have arrived quicker than I expected. I now had to turn and face as I can’t continue to compress my forces anymore. Sigh, this map was never going to be a winner for me with the army I choose, a more balance MF army with some chariots may have been a better choice methinks, at least then I could have managed some favourable match-ups, but next turn is likely to be very lethal for me. This will be over quickly.

[massina_nz]

I get some good dice rolls and the superior pike breaks and most of my spears hold, there are three Seleucid units that are at breaking point, I might yet be able to overwhelm them with sheer numbers.



I can’t believe my good luck, the Seleucids have left a gap in their lines for which my lt spear cavalry can break through. One Argyraspid will be toast in my next turn. This is what lt spear cavalry are great for, finding gaps that lancer cavalry can’t with their better manoeuvrability. My opponent made another mistake as well; he threw in his Thracians with the Argyraspides, allowing my spears to fight the much weaker Thracians. I have a chance now of rolling up the enemy flank with my cavalry, how quickly a game can change.

In hindsight this was the most pivotal moment of the battle, the gap in the enemy lines gave me a winning chance.

[massina_nz]

Forgot to take screen dump – Seleucids make good head way with some good dice rolls, but it still hangs in the balance.

[massina_nz]

The enemy pikes domino rout and now the Seleucid camp beckons.



Here’s a neat trick. I knew my spearmen (A) facing the cats (B) would rout, so I was able to first charge the hefalump (C) with my spears (D), at the end of the turn the cat will turn to face, opening up it’s rear hexes, and it can’t break off from combat due to ZOCs. Sometimes its very valauble to put a unit in danger in order to take out a very strong enemy unit.

[massina_nz]

A desperate attempt by the Seleucids to save their cat proves insufficient, the end is very near and I win in the next opponents turn.

Well by the mid-game I really thought I had put my head in the noose here. But I surely now have a greater appreciation of how good Superior Armoured Spearmen are.